Vine Right, Shimmy, Shimmy! Accomplishing Order* in a Line Dancing Class

What circumstances brought someone interested in Ethnomethodology to a Line Dancing Class? Like other ordinary folk, sociologists are not special, different, distinct. When they leave the office, the field, ‘work’, they engage in the same sorts of activities and leisure pursuits that other ordinary folk do; some drive and maintain classic cars, others design crossword puzzles. Some spend too long in the ‘gym’, watch The Simpsons on TV, others support their local soccer, hockey or football team – the list is as long as the roll-call of ethnomethodologists – and at least one accompanies his partner who likes to go Line Dancing. There is nothing special, outstanding, ironic, unusual, unique, or ‘outside’ ¹ about these leisure pursuits. These are the kinds of activities that ordinary folk choose to engage in when they are doing ‘leisure’.